Discovering the world around me – One blog post at a time.

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Thousands of people around the world think that having unprotected sex, only once, cannot produce any real consequences. But as I have learned throughout this project, it only takes one night to permanently change your life. Many people neglect the importance of remaining abstinent and or having safe sex, which gives way for them to become infected with an STD. The first fact that struck home for me was that while a lot of STD’s are treatable, but not all are mendable. Some of the more serious STD’s like Herpes and HIV are not curable. By having unprotected sex on a one-night stand puts individuals at greater risk for obtaining one of these lethal diseases. Since 1 in 3 people in the United States have an STD there is no wonder why individuals that engage in one night stands are three times more likely to get an STD from their partner. And since persons between the ages of 15 and 25 are at higher risk to obtain an STD, the risk of unprotected sex is too high to disregard. If there were one thing I could emphasize to the young people of today would be to thoroughly think about the actions you choose to engage in. Its important to know the facts and risks of sex because one poor decision and one night of pleasure can cause a lifetime of sorrow or even worse, no lifetime at all.

Based on the information we read in class and on the website, HIV rates are significantly higher in the south than in any other part of the country. Also the southern states have higher cases of HIV, 245 to 384 of 100,000 people, than the mid-west and western region combined. This may be the reason why so many people refer to the southern region as the “dirty south”. But as far as the world’s population goes, the United States is doing well to prevent the spread of HIV. The country with the most HIV cases as compared to its population is South Africa. South Africa has four times the amount of HIV cases than any other country. Also following closely behind South Africa is Russia. Their HIV rates are growing at such an alarming rate that at some point in the near future they will eventually have the highest HIV rate in the world.

Although millions know that HIV is a remarkably serious STD, it is apparent that not everyone knows the true signs and symptoms of HIV. Many people believe that HIV signs are the same as any other STD, with things such as discolored discharge, itchy skin, and rashes. But what many people fail to realize is that HIV’s early signs – sore throat, fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue – are very similar to those of a common cold. Since these signs are so easy to throw aside as having a cold, there is not wonder why we have so many individuals walking around not knowing they have HIV until it is too late for treatment. Another major fact to note about HIV is that it can remain dormant for years at a time without showing any signs or symptoms. Individuals during this time frame are extremely infectious. Not knowing these facts can be detrimental to your health and welfare. This is why getting tested for HIV is so important not only for individual’s sake but also for the sake and health of the world.

Through this project, of trying to determine the cause of why we wont live as long as our parents, I’ve learned that there are many answers to that question. Things such as stress, obesity, steroid and growth hormones in food,or even the amount of television we watch. One of the main reasons scientist believe that we are so more prone to health problems is due to overeating and poor eating habits established in childhood. In the video we watched today in class, over 50% of our children are, to some extent, overweight. Also I have learned that people with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese. In North Carolina, 62% of adults are overweight. This is mostly due to the amount of resources a community has. People living in poor cities are more likely to develop hypertension and diabetes than those who live in wealthier countries. They have an increased risk because, for some odd reason, in America fast food is cheaper than fresh produce. With this fact in mind, there is no wonder as to why the weight of the nation is drastically and rapidly increasing.

In the following infographic I learned that childhood obesity has tripled within the past generation. I also learner that soda consumption has doubled in girls and tripled in boys. This is most likely due to the fact that soda is now more readily available than at any other time in history. According to this inforgraphic every 1 in 5 infants are soda drinkers. This is alarming to hear because the majority of infants are not eating the proper food which in the long run can shorten their life span. It is important to know these facts and to share them with others because if we do not many of our most beloved children will die from obesity before they reach puberty.

Obesity in America is becoming a true problem to our generation and generations to come. Obesity can come from any sort of causes. Things from being over stressed with the troubles of daily life, to the large quantities of steroids and hormones injected into our food. Obesity is a slowly developing pandemic that should/ needs to be stopped. Although it may seem like a small issue as compared to diseases like AIDS, if we let obesity go on too long with out finding some type of solution, our future generations wont live to see their twenties.
Obesity causes many physical as well as non-physical issues with those who are affected by it. As we all know, obesity can cause physical problems such as diabetes, hypertension, organ failure, and other secondary diseases. But many of us forget the depression, suicidal thoughts, and bullying that goes along with obesity. People living with this disease every day, often feel ostracized from society. When in all actuality, society is the one who made them the way they are, by placing harmful steroids, hormones, and pesticides on our foods.

Globalization certainly increases the spread and formation of a pandemic. As we have seen in the movie, Contagion, pandemics have never been so easily started in the history of the world. According to Asia Society.com, “Airborne illnesses freeload by hopping aboard jet travelers, which means a local outbreak can quickly become a global crisis.” With the large amounts of air travel, air trade, and port trade between countries, there is no wonder why globalization is connected to pandemics. The more we travel to different countries and the more we trade goods, the likelihood that a pandemic will begin increases dramatically. Should globalization be stopped? If it was to be stopped, what would happen to our society? Is globalization the true cause of pandemics or is it the bad hygiene we have that causes pandemics?